A Warrior's Fairy Tale
by writer168
Summary: War between the Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Sound had never been more fierce. Sakura, daughter of Healer Tsunade, spends her days in underground fights with her best friend Naruto and her older brother Hidan. But when those two are conscipted into the ANBU Army, she takes charge and follows after them. They aren't dying in the war on her watch. Non-canon. AU.
1. Red Hood

Once upon a time, in the dead of night, a red-cloaked figure slunk through the shadows in uptown Konoha. All the high ranking soldiers and nobility lived in this area and would never dare step foot downtown. The figure surveyed the quiet area before scaling a brick wall and leaping onto the roof of the main house in the Hyuuga Compound.

The Hyuuga's were one of the noble families that resided in uptown Konoha alongside the Nara's, Akimichi's, and the Uchiha's. These noble families each had two precious stones that they kept on high guard at all times. The Byakugan Moonstone and the Daikaiten Charoite belonged to the Hyuugas.

Shame if one went missing, no?

A girl sixteen years of age, covered in cuts and bruises, stood in an arena. There was blood on her hands, but it wasn't hers. It was her opponent's- _The Hunter_. The crowd was cheering and the bets were still piling, just how a normal underground fighting ring should work. Fights like this, in fact, were part of the culture in the downtown Konoha in the Kingdom of Fire. The civilians weren't at all bothered by this sort. It was intriguing to watch, legal to bet on, and more a stress reliever for the fighters if anything.

The girl dodged a blow aimed at her head and whammed a knee into _The Hunter's_ gut. Taking advantage of his stunned state, she crouched on the ground and sent a roundhouse kick to the back of his knees. On his way falling forward, her elbow dug into his back and she pinned him to the ground.

"Winner: _The Slugger_!"

Sakura Haruno, a.k.a _The Slugger_, flipped her pastel pink hair over her shoulder and stood with a victorious fistpump. She helped Haku, _The Hunter_, up to his feet and smiled.

"Better luck next time, eh, Haku?" she teased. He smirked.

"Luck had nothing to do with it. You _will_ go down next fight."

They both hopped out of the ring. Haku waved to the girl and went on his way. Sakura, though, climbed the stone steps of the stadium and sat on one of the wooden benches next to her best friend, Naruto Uzumaki who fought under the alias _Kyuubi_. His fight was thirty minutes ago, and of course, he had won with his unending stamina.

"Awesome fight, Sakura-chan!" he exclaimed, "You totally kicked his ass into next week, dattebayo!"

The upcoming fight had Sakura's older brother and someone she didn't recognize.

"Go Hidan!" she cheered. Hidan, who was fighting under the title _Jashin_, flashed her a grin and readied himself for the fight. Beside her, Naruto sighed and leaned forward.

"I'm going to miss this, ya know?" the blonde muttered, "Underground fighting, the village, the people, you too, Sakura-chan! I won't get to see you for who knows how long! It could be years!"

Sakura looked down. That's right. Naruto and Hidan were recently conscripted into the ANBU Army and would leave tonight. The war between the Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Sound was reaching it's high-point, and they needed more able-bodied samurai soldiers to join their forces.

Her fist clenched.

If she wasn't a girl, she would follow her brother and best friend into the ANBU and fight alongside them. Sakura stood and stretched her legs.

"I'm gonna get a drink. You want anything?" she asked.

"Nah, I'm good, Sakura-chan."

Sakura climbed the long staircase that lead out of the underground. She pushed open the iron door that separated the underground from the rest of the world and stepped into _Samehada_, a local bar. She sat on one of the barstools, and laid her head down on the counter.

"What's got you down, kitten?"

She raised her head and stared at the owner/bartender of Samehada.

"You heard about Naruto and Hidan, right, Kisame?"

Kisame was her mother's old friends and was the father figure in Sakura's life. He once a part of the ANBU himself, but retired a few years back and opened his own bar. He ran a hand through his hair and leaned against the counter.

"Course I have. It's gonna be quiet when they're gone and we're gonna miss them, but there's nothing we can do about it, kiddo. They're going to war and we can only hope they'll come back safe and sound." he said.

"I guess you're right." she sighed, "Anyway, I just remembered that I have to do something. When you see Hidan and Naruto, tell them I had a few errands to run."

He gave her a thumbs up and tossed Sakura her red cloak. She put it on, flipped up her hood, and walked into the streets of downtown Konoha. She walked past many merchants and normal civilians until she arrived at _Blue and Steel_, a weapons shop that was run by two exceptional blacksmiths.

"Yo, Sakura! What's up?" Anko greeted. Sakura pulled down her hood and grinned.

"Hey, Anko-san. Are the things I requested ready?" she asked. Suddenly, the door from the back opened and Tenten walked in, carrying a thick bundle under her arm.

"Here I've got a katana, a wakizashi, a tanto, a set of kama, and a pair of steel of fans." Tenten chirped, laying out the weapons for teen to see, "Are you sure you know what you're doing? You could get killed for this."

Sakura gathered the weapons and gave them the money with a small smile.

"I'm sure about it. Don't worry about me, Anko-san, Tenten. I won't get caught."

She left the shop with the weapons under her arms. Her next stop was the _Aburame Library_. Sakura entered through the wooden doors and approached the receptionist.

"Good morning, Shino. Isn't the weather outside nice?"

The boy, sixteen years old just like herself, peered up at her though his dark glasses.

"... I suppose. Are you here to borrow a book? A new shipment came in last night." he said.

"No, no. I'm here because I was able to get my hands on something sweet. Would you like to see?" she smirked. His face never changed when she reached into a pocket in her cloak and pulled out an sphere-shaped stone about the size of her hand. She handed it to Shino who held it up and inspected it with a critical eye.

"The Byakugan Moonstone. I will do the usual, correct?" Shino deadpanned. Sakura nodded.

"That's right. Sell it off in the black market and distribute the money among the people. Discreetly, if I may add. Thank you, Shino."

As she walked out of the Library, his quiet voice echoed after her.

"Shall I spread word that the Red Hood will disappear for a while?"

"Yes, please."

Before she walked into her mother's workplace, she stashed the weapons under a bale of hay in Katsuyu's, her horse's, stable, then went to the clinic beside her house. Various herbs were on display near the entrance and were stacked on shelves in the center of the clinic. Towards the back was where her mother, Tsunade, and her assistant, Shizune, would check up on her patients.

Tsunade was dressed in a sleeveless kimono-style blouse with grayish-blue obi that matched her pants and a green haori over her entire ensemble. In front of her was the Grand Marshal of the ANBU Army. Kakuzu was the highest ranking official there was and often worked closesly with the village healer to get the remedies his soldiers needed. Tsunade was undoubtedly the best healer there was, and his troops deserved the best.

Kakuzu looked over his shoulder and ran his eyes over Sakura's form noting that she, once again, was not wearing a kimono or practicing etiquette like all the other girls her age.

"Out fighting again, eh?" Tsunade mused. Sakura grinned.

"You know I can't help myself, Kaa-san. I love the fighting and people love the betting." she said. Kakuzu's lips quirked upwards.

"If the Army had more people like you, maybe we'd win this damn war sooner." he commented.

"Well, I'm one in a million, Grand Marshal. If you find someone in the Army like me, I'd really like to meet him!" she exclaimed. Tsunade chuckled.

"Alright, Sakura. Go get your brother and tell him to come home straight away."

"But... But I just got back!"

"Now."

Sakura walked out dejectedly, Kakuzu watching after her curiously.

Later on in the day, you could see young men bidding their crying mothers, girlfriends, and wives goodbye. Sakura stared at her older brother.

"You know what I'm going to do." she said. Hidan tousled her hair and brought her in for a tight hug.

"Then get there at the speed of fucking light." he whispered. Naruto came up beside her and gave her another bone-crushing hug. Both of them said their goodbyes before they set off out the village gates.

At ten o'clock that night, while her mother was asleep, Sakura snuck over to the stables to saddle up Katsuyu. Her hair was now a shaggy pixie cut and she was dressed in a pair of pants and one of her late father's old shirts. Her katana was slung across her back and the rest of her weapons were stored away in her pack.

"Well, well, well. Hello, Sakura."

She froze.

"Fuck." she muttered. She spun around and pulled up a nervous smile.

"H-Hello Grand Marshal! To what do I owe you this visit? I thought yo-"

"You're going to the camps, aren't you? Masquerading as a soldier? A _female_ masquerading as a soldier, nonetheless. That is punishable by death. Are you really taking this risk just so you can fight for your Kingdom alongside your brother and your best friend?" Kakuzu questioned harshly. He got off his horse and approached the sixteen year old.

She cringed but kept her chin up and stared straight into his eyes.

"Yessir."

"Good."

He pulled out a scroll and handed it to her.

"Be at the Akatsuki Camp before sunrise."

He got back onto his horse and rode away, leaving a dumbfounded Sakura behind.

General Itachi Uchiha was young, stoic, and one of the best damn soldiers you would ever have the pleasure of meeting. With such a unmatched reputation, it made him the perfect person to train the most promising soldiers gathered from around the Kingdom of Fire. These soldiers were supposed to be the most physically able, the smartest of the bunch, but when Itachi arrived at the camp...

... They all looked like a bunch of idiots.

Lieutenant General Sasori Akasuna surveyed the newcomers with an amused eye. They all looked so carefree and jovial. Did they not realize that they were at war and that there was a very real chance that they'd be one of the nameless bodies to be found? Both Sasori's and Itachi's attention were turned to a rather large group of newcomers who were cheering and rooting.

A fight? Well, that was unacceptable.

Itachi strode over. Once the crowd felt his chilling presence, they moved out completely out of his way to reveal two people rolling on the ground and beating the living daylights out of each other.

"At attention!" Itachi snapped. The two quickly disentangled themselves and stood before the General with shameless stares. The first Itachi looked at was someone he was fairly familiar with. His younger brother, Sasuke. The second person, though, he did not recognize. And surely he'd remember someone who had pink hair.

"Your name and origin, soldier." Itachi demanded smoothly. The boy looked at him straight in the eye, without fear.

"Seiichi Haruno from Konohagakure, sir." the boy introduced. From Itachi's left, Sasori allowed himself a small smirk. Seiichi Haruno. Strong, shameless, fearless... Sasori could only imagine all the trouble he would cause their General.

_**Military Ranks of This Story in Order of Highest to Lowest (Also the ranks used by the Japanese Empire in WWII):**_

_**(Officer Ranks)**_

_**1) Grand Marshal**_

_**2) Marshal General**_

_**3) General**_

_**4) Lieutenant General**_

_**5) Major General**_

_**6) Colonel**_

_**7) Lieutenant Colonel**_

_**8) Major**_

_**9) Captain**_

_**10) First Lieutenant**_

_**11) Second Lieutenant**_

_**12) Warrant Officer**_

_**(Enlisted Ranks)**_

_**1) Sergeant Major**_

_**2) Sergeant**_

_**3) Corporal**_

_**4) Lance Corporal**_

_**5) Senior Private**_

_**6) Private First Class**_

_**7) Private**_


	2. Fifty Push Ups

Itachi regarded the young soldier coolly. This boy was simply ridiculous. Picking a fight on the first day and now looking at his commanding General without a shred of remorse? Did he not know just who he was dealing with? He looked up at the other soldiers who were gathered and now watching the scene unfold.

"All of you- three laps around around the campsite. Now." Itachi ordered. The new recruits scurried to do as they were told and kept their complaints to themselves. The campsite itself was shaped like a rectangle and had a perimeter of three miles. He then looked at the two troublemakers in front of him.

"As for you two... You will run four laps around the campsite and each of you will have to carry a thirty pound sack of rice. Are we clear?" he inquired icily.

"Yessir." Sasuke hissed. He turned on his heel and walked to the mess hall. The pink-haired one looked at the General with a smirk on his face.

"Whatever you say, _General Uchiha_."

Itachi narrowed his eyes before walking away to tend to his duties. Sasori chuckled amusedly and looked at the young recruit.

"You better shape up that attitude, boy. Don't get me wrong, I love to see the General riled up, but he's still your commanding officer."

"What can I say?" Seiichi grinned, "I love a good challenge, Lieutenant. Have a good rest of the day, sir. I'll get that rice and run those laps now."

With an impressed look, Sasori watched Seiichi run to the mess hall and come out with the rice. He decided he liked the boy and his spirit, and maybe for once, life at battle camp wouldn't be so bad.

* * *

><p>Seiichi was able to catch up with the group even with the weight of the rice on his shoulders. Hidan ran up beside him and sent an over an exasperated look.<p>

"Day one... and you're already... causing all this... fucking trouble!" he whispered through pants, "You're supposed to be... laying low, not causing a ...motherfucking riot! Sure that... Sasuke guy was an... asshole... but still! How much... does that rice... weigh... Sakura?"

Sakura, who's cover name was Seiichi, quirked an eyebrow.

"Thirty pounds." she answered. Hidan gaped at her as Naruto ran up beside them.

"Sakura-chan, what are you doing here?! And before you say anything, I know it's you 'cause I'd recognized your face anywhere!" the blonde exclaimed-whispered. She sighed and gave her long explanation. Surprisingly, he didn't give a single interjection through her entire story. At the end, he gave her a bright grin.

"Well, it's a good thing that you have a flat chest, dattebayo!"

Hidan burst out in laughter and Sakura tripped Naruto, her face a furious red. Two hours later, the majority of the soldiers had finished running and were collapsed at the tables in the mess hall. Itachi and Sasori sat a table to themselves in the corner, conversing quietly as the volume of the large tent raised.

"That Seiichi is an interesting egg, don't you think?" Sasori questioned, "He looked at you straight in the eye without flinching. Must be a first, right?"

"He is irritating and dares to have an attitude with his commanding officer. Obedience and respect are key factors in the Army." Itachi replied, raising his cup of tea to his lips. His Lieutenant pointed his chopsticks in the direction of the soldiers.

"Even if you find him infuriating, you may have to put up with it. By the looks of it, Seiichi is one of the best. He finished thirty minutes before everyone else, but Uzumaki and the other Haruno did finish ten minutes before him. I would think Seiichi had good speed, but taking into account the extra weight and the extra lap, his stamina and strength are above normal as well."

Itachi cast a glance over his shoulder. Seiichi certainly didn't look as tired as the rest of the soldiers despite having to carry that extra thirty pounds. But twelve miles and only being slightly winded? Who in the world was Seiichi Haruno?

* * *

><p>"Sasuke, right?"<p>

Sasuke looked up from his meal and into the bright green eyes of the person that beat the shit out of him earlier.

"What's it to you?" he questioned suspiciously. Sakura took a seat across from him and set down her tray of food.

"I just wanted to apologize for giving you that black eye. The purple goes well with your pale complexion, though." she grinned. Sasuke smirked.

"You're still going to talk smack even when I dislocated your jaw?"

"Not dislocated anymore." she chirped, "My brother was able to realign it."

Naruto and Hidan came up to the table, followed by three others. The pudgy one who was scarfing down his food was Chouji Akimichi, the son of Lord Chouza. He was a polite boy and was easy to get along with. The person beside him was Shikamaru Nara, son of Lord Shikaku. Shikamaru had given Chouji his helping of food and was snoring lightly at the table.

Sitting beside Sakura and conversing amiably was Tobi Uchiha, son of Lord Madara. He was cheery, peppy, and ran his mouth just as much as Naruto did. Unfortunately enough, the majority of these new recruits were nobles who never stepped foot on the same streets civilians walked on.

"Have you heard about what happened to the Hyuuga's?" Tobi asked. The six people at the table trained their attention to seventeen year old with the orange eye patch.

"Their Byakugan was stolen, wasn't it?" Shikamaru yawned as he rubbed his bleary eyes. "My father says the master thief Red Hood had stolen it. He's troublesome, and because of that, the guards of the Nara Gems had been doubled."

Sakura wanted to tell them that the Red Hood wouldn't be a problem for the duration of the war, but wisely kept her mouth shut. The rest of the dinner was spent in a loud chatter and they eventually were dismissed for night training. It was 6:40 pm and the sun was starting to set. The General met them outside in the center of their camp. The soldiers were lined in rows of ten before him.

"Fifty_ proper_ push ups. In unison. If one person is off, you will all start over. Down."

The entire company was on the ground and simultaneously performed a push up.

"One, sir!"

"Down."

"Two, sir!"

"Down."

"Three, sir!"

Sasori had to feel sorry for them. He could tell that not all of them would be able to perform fifty push ups straight and at a fast pace. Actually, most of them wouldn't be able to do something this tedious. At around twenty-five, the pudgy one's arms gave out. Itachi's face was blank as he saw the boy fall.

"Back to the beginning. Down."

"One, sir!"

They only made it to fifteen before a handful collapsed as well.

"Again. Down."

"One, sir!"

This time, sixteen was reached before the same handful who collapsed the last time as well as a dozen more couldn't complete the seventeenth one. This processes continued for an hour. A hefty portion of them were dismissed for not being able to push past thirty two. Four people remained in push-up position, and a small crowd had gathered to watch. Sakura was sweating profusely and her hands were tightened into fists. Her eyes were staring into Itachi's cold one's- her pride preventing her from breaking contact.

Sasuke was shaking with exhaustion, but his will to not loose to Sakura a second time kept him from falling. Naruto had built up a small rivalry between him and Hidan and would not loose to him in these sets of push ups. His only problem was that even with his intense stamina, his upper body strength wasn't exactly the best of the best. Hidan's shirt had come off some time during the training, showing off his exerted muscles.

"Down."

"Forty-six, sir!"

"Down."

"Forty-seven, sir!"

Naruto's arms were becoming numb as he could no longer feel them. Sasori saw this from the sidelines and his eyes twinkled with suspense. He wouldn't make it to fifty.

"Down."

"Forty-eight, sir!"

"Down."

"Forty-nine, sir!"

Itachi paused. Sakura's eyes widened at this and she broke her eye-contact with him to look to the side at Naruto. His arms were shaking and looked as if they would give out soon. Five seconds passed, then ten, until Itachi's mouth opened again.

"D-"

Naruto's arms went out and he was dismissed. The other soldiers cried out in sympathy at his misfortune. The corner of the General's mouth quirked up as his eyes scanned to the remained three.

"Start from the beginning. Down."

Sakura gnashed her teeth and went down, then up.

"One, sir!"

At thirteen, Hidan was downed. The next set was excrutiatingly painful to watch as Sasuke and Sakura ignored their screaming muscles to continue on with the exercise. Fifteen was reached until Sasuke couldn't take it any longer.

"Dammit!" the boy cursed. Itachi dismissed him with the flick of his head and set his undivided attention to the panting, sweaty mess at his feet.

"You are the only one left, Haruno. Will you give up and make it easy on yourself?" he mocked. Sakura's eyes hardened considerably as she boldly glared at him viciously.

"Eat. A. Dick." she growled. Gasps and stifled laughs echoed around the area.

"Insulting your commanding officer... well then, Haruno. As your punishment, you will remain in this position until I feel that you've learned your lesson. If you collapse, you will run five laps around the campsite with a bag of rice." he said. Hidan was about to yell at the General in protest until Shikamaru's hand shot out and quickly covered his mouth

"If you do that, you'll end up with a worse punishment." the Nara whispered, "Don't worry about your brother. The General wouldn't keep him there for that long, assuming he has a heart."

Itachi turned to the spectators.

"Go to your tents. That is an order. If anyone helps out Haruno, your punishment will be tripled."

The soldiers saluted and scrambled to their tents, throwing Sakura sympathetic glances before clearing out. She gave a grin to her brother and her best friend and urged them to leave as well, assuring them that she would be fine the rest of the warm, summer night. When there was no one left, Sasori sauntered over and crouched down.

"What did I tell you about that attitude, boy?" he sighed. "That General shows no mercy, even to his inferiors."

To his surprise, Sakura threw up a smirk.

"And what did I tell you, Lieutenant? I love a challenge. Also, tell the General that he may have won this battle, but the goddamn war has just begun."

"I'll be sure to convey the message." Sasori chuckled as he stood up. He walked to his tent, leaving Sakura to her thoughts. An hour flew by, and she was still all alone in the clearing. Sakura raised a hand to wipe the sweat from her brow and sighed. About this time, she was reconsidering her decision in giving the General that insult even if he did deserve every ounce of it.

The sound of grass crunching underneath footsteps took her out of her thoughts. She looked to her right, expecting to see the polished boots of a high-ranking officer, but saw some worn out ones with untied laces. A canteen then entered her vision.

"Drink, Seiichi."

"S-Sasuke?!"


	3. It Starts

Sasuke glared at her roughly.

"Do you want us both to get in trouble?" he hissed, "Keep your voice down and just drink the water."

Sakura's gaze lingered on him for a few seconds before she accepted the water gratefully. She took a couple hearty gulps before setting her hand down and balancing her weight.

"Thank you." she smiled. He huffed and jogged back to his tent. Another full hour passed until Itachi finally did walk up to Sakura.

"At attention, Haruno."

Sakura slowly got up on her feet. She swayed slightly before coming to attention. Itachi was taken aback at the boy's state. Even if his body was thoroughly beaten and exhausted, the look in his eyes was unwavering and just as it was when he first met him.

"You are dismissed. Mind your mouth,_ Seiichi_, or I will not be as lenient next time."

Too tired to come up with a snide comeback, she saluted and walked off to her tent while rolling her shoulders, aware of the set of pitch black eyes that followed after her.

It had now been a month since the Akatsuki Camp had been occupied. Training got harder everyday and Sakura and Itachi were at each other's throats constantly, but it had become part of the daily routine. No one ever had the suspicion of having a girl in their midst. Everything was normal. That is... until one night, a loud, horrid cry echoed through air.

The following morning, all the soldiers looked as if they were dead due to the arrow dodging exercise the day before. They were instructed to dodge the projectiles while waist deep in a river about a mile away from camp. Unfortunately for them, they were right beside a waterfall where all of them eventually took a ride down.

They walked slowly towards the mess hall for breakfast and eased onto the benches at the tables. Sakura laughed when she sat down at the table.

"What's wrong with you three? You look like hell." she commented.

"I feel like a horse ran over me." Chouji groaned. Shikamaru couldn't agree more as he picked up his chopsticks. He couldn't pick up his rice, as his hand kept on shaking and he couldn't get a good grip. He finally settled on setting the chopsticks down and conceding defeat.

"I can't wait until training later!" Tobi exclaimed, earning exasperated stares, "It was really hard yesterday and I just can't wait for what we'll learn today!"

He then turned his lone eye to Hidan.

"E-Eh? Is he really that tired?"

Hidan was blissfully asleep and Sakura and Naruto were splitting his food amongst the people at the table.

"He's a bit of an insomniac, dattebayo." Naruto answered, "He gets to fall asleep in the day, though. Oi, teme, want his fried tofu?"

Sasuke shook his head.

"I'm full, dobe."

Sakura took the bread on Hidan's plate and slipped it into his pocket, knowing he'd be starving later. The bell rang in tent shortly after, gathering a chorus of agitated moans in reply.

* * *

><p>A man in a navy blue cloak traveled into The Temple of the Oracle, situated deep in the rocky terrain in the border between the Kingdom of Fire and the Kingdom of Sound. He pushed open the doors of the temple and met an incredibly large room filled with old scrolls and books. There was a large desk in the center of it all. On it was a crystal ball, a feng shui compass, a star map, tarot cards, and a golden bowl with fire burning in it. A grand orange and red bird sat on a perch beside the desk, eyeing the newcomer curiously.<p>

"So you've come again, four-eyes." a voice echoed. The man sighed and pulled down the hood of his cloak.

"It's not four-eyes, it's Kabuto. Emperor Danzo would like to know if the war will end in his favor."

A pale man dressed in all black appeared in the seat behind the desk, leaning back leisurely in his chair. He was the giver of the prophecies and the only one who knew what would happen in the future. He swore his allegiance to no one and offered his services to anyone who journeyed into his Temple. The Oracle looked to the Phoenix to his right.

"Ino, please retrieve me the Prophecy of the Red Moon."

Ino inclined her head and spread enormous wings. She flew to the shelves near the ceiling, grabbed a fairly worn scroll, and made her way down. Before the bird touched the ground, she transformed into a beautful, blonde-haired woman dressed in an orange silk kimono.

"Here you are, Sai."

Sai took the scroll and spread it out for Kabuto to see.

"A warrior rises from the least likely of places, but as of right now, holds two separate faces. They will be Sound's utmost demise, even when wearing the most ingenious guise. You can stop this, however, though not in large numbers. You need them to fall by bestowing eternal slumber. But be warned, Royal Advisor, they can be broken out of that sleep- by the affection of someone that loves them tender and deep. If that happens, it's over, and the warrior will charge with valor. In their heart will be hope, and in their right hand, _Excalibur_."

Kabuto took a step backwards. Excalibur?! That was the infamous name of the Sword in the Stone. It laid in the chambers of the eight-headed monster, Orochimaru. Everyone who had tried to take Excalibur had either been killed by Orochimaru without reaching the sword, or have reached the sword, but haven't been able to pull it out. Either way, death was imminent.

"What is the warrior's name?" Kabuto asked. Sai shook his head.

"I can only tell a prophecy in the riddle they are given. The interpretation is for you to discover, as I cannot unravel all the secrets of the future to you."

The Royal Advisor pushed up his glasses.

"I understand. I will try to find this warrior as quickly as I can and he will be brought down."

Kabuto bowed in respect before flipping up his hood and leaving the temple. Sai's lips quirked up with amusement when his visitor had left.

"Oh... I never said that warrior was a 'he'."

Ino swatted the back of his head.

"You're getting weird again, Sai."

* * *

><p>All of the soldiers were gathered just outside the camp. Itachi was shirtless and looking over the recruits with a cold eye.<p>

"We will begin hand to hand combat. Fight as best as you can and as hard as you can until someone is downed, then start over. Find a partner and begin."

Sakura turned to look for a partner.

"Except you, Seiichi. You will be fighting the Lieutenant."

She turned to look at Sasori's half-lidded brown eyes. He smirked at her stunned face and readied himself. Sakura gulped.

Twenty kicks, seventeen punches, thirty-four blocks, eight dodges, and one over-the-shoulder flip later, Sasori was pinned in a headlock on the ground. He can say that he is immensely irritated by the fact he had been beaten by a newbie over the course of five minutes.

"Alright, you win. Get off me." he growled. Sakura released him and helped him up to his feet. Sasori dusted himself and turned to the teenager, "You have the underground edge with your fighting. I'm impressed."

Her eyes brightened up at his words.

"The underground? You've seen the fights?" she questioned excitedly. The stood in front of each other, preparing themselves for the second round. Sasori smirked.

"I was a street rat as a young boy. My parents got caught in the middle of a street fight and were killed in the crossfire. I was picked up by a crew of fighters called the Puppet Brigade and fought under the stage name _Puppetmaster_." he said. He aimed a sidekick to her stomach, but she rolled away and aimed an elbow to the back okf his head.

"_Puppetmaster_? Holy shit, Lieutenant, you never told me that you were a legend!"

"So much for being a legend. It's either kids are getting stronger or I'm just getting older."

"I think it may be the latter."

"Watch that tongue, boy. I may be old, but I'm young enough to wipe the floor with you if I'm up to it."

Sakura thought Sasori was pretty cool on the first day she got there, but how he was right now really took the cake. It wasn't often that she had been able to meet a veteran of the underground, a legend nonetheless. After an hour of sparring, the soldiers were instructed to run three laps around the campsite again.

Sasori and Itachi in one of the large tents, looking down at a map of the world that was flattened and covered with numerous dots and x's.

"I'm surprised, General. Seiichi didn't try to pick a fight with you this training session and you did nothing to provoke him. Has everything between the both of you been settled?" Sasori questioned. Itachi looked up.

"Of course not. I was merely observing his fighting style and the way you lost nearly every time. Care to explain how a new recruit bested a Lieutenant?"

Sasori scowled.

"It turns out he's a rogue. He doesn't look like much, having such a small form, but he knows how to pack a punch." Sasori informed. Confusion grew in the depths of Itachi's eyes.

"A... rogue?" he questioned, the unfamiliar word rolling off his tongue.

"Oh, I forgot that you were a noble." the red-head sighed, "An rogue is basically someone that participates in street fights in underground arenas. There are arenas all over the Kingdom of Fire and competitions are on constantly. For example, there are about five arenas in Sunagakure alone and... seven in Konohagakure, I believe."

Itachi had never heard of such a thing until this day. Sasori walked out of the tent to send a messenger bird to Emperor Sarutobi. The Uchiha walked out as well to see if any of the soldiers had finished their run. When no one showed, he let his mind wander.

Were nobles really that ignorant of the world of normal civilians?

* * *

><p>Fifty minutes later, Naruto showed up inside the camp. Five minutes after him came Hidan, then Sakura and Sasuke. It was lunchtime and the four headed to the mess hall. The others flowed in at a leisurely pace, Chouji being the very last person to arrive. Shikamaru had gotten the pudgy boy's food in advance and made sure to put extra meat in his ramen.<p>

"Seiichi-kun! Seiichi-kun! I just remembered, did you hear that really loud howl last night?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Howl? I can't say that I have."

"It was real fucking loud. Sounded like it was in the forest right outside the camp. Shit Sa-Seiichi, were you deaf? Seriously." Hidan said. He mentally cursed himself for almost slipping up the name.

"You know I'm a heavy sleeper."

"Fucking still! That howl was the loudest shit I've ever heard."

"It also started something troublesome. There's a rumor going around the camp saying that there's a monster in the woods. No one wants to go out and check, though."

Naruto was too busy savoring the delicious miso ramen to pay attention to the conversation. An idea popped into Sasuke's head as his eyes slid over to the short sixteen year old.

"Why don't you go check it out, Seiichi?" Sasuke suggested, "That is, unless you're afraid."

Sakura glared at his damn, smirking face.

"I'm not afraid. Hell, I'll do it later today! What are the stakes?" she growled. The bet was set and they spit in their hands and shook on it to seal the deal. Tobi looked back and forth between them nervously.

"Um... y-you guys, I don't think this is a good idea..."

"Don't worry about it, Tobi." Sakura assured, "There won't be anything in those woods. I'll be there for half an hour and come out unscathed,"

Shikamaru sighed.

"Troublesome."


	4. The Howl in the Woods

Due to the General having to meet up with an officer in a town a few hours away, the Lieutenant was in charge until he got back. The soldiers waited quietly, albeit nervously for his commands. It was right after lunch and they were all looking at Sasori expectantly.

"You're free to do whatever you please the rest of the day." he said nonchalantly. The soldiers were stunned.

" U-Um... sir?" someone inquired from the back, "What do you mean by that exactly?"

"The afternoon belongs to you. You can go fishing, sleep, take a walk- I don't care. The only thing you need to remember is to be back in the camp before nightfall. Now scat."

The group dispersed and Sakura walked to the gate where her friends were waiting.

"Maybe you should reconsider doing this. Seiichi." Shikamaru suggested. Sakura waved him off with a confident grin.

"You guys are worrying over nothing. I'll be in there an hour and come back fine, you'll see." she said. She turned to Sasuke. "Then _you'll_ have to live up to your end of the bet."

Five of them watched with worry as she walked into the dark forest with her red cloak, and the sixth was starting to regret giving the challenge.

The afternoon sun's rays didn't reach down on the forest floor, yet the deeper you went in, the more things began to glow. The mossy ground lit up around her feet every time she took a step, and fireflies buzzed around despite it still being day. Not that you could tell from within the forest. Crickets chirped lazily and frogs croaked every now and then.

"Now... for the thing that howled last night..." she muttered. Sakura continued on walking in the forest. It was nice, quiet, and more serene than anything. A twig snapped behind her.

The forest was hushed into silence and all the fireflies had disappeared, leaving Sakura in darkness.

"**Little Red... Little Red... why in the world would you walk into this forest all alone?**" a voice questioned. "**Has no one told you how many foolish humans have died because they have stepped foot in my Lord's territory?**"

She looked around her and saw nothing but the trees.

"I apologize. I wasn't aware, but I will leave right away if that is what you want." she answered. She saw a blur of silver in the corner of her eye, but it was gone as quick as it came.

"**What I want? What I want is to continue my nap, but I know that I cannot. It should be my duty to kill you.**" the voice replied, "**But... You do not smell of fear nor arrogance like those before you. I may spare your life if you give me a reason why I should let you live.**"

"Honestly... You have all the right to kill me. You said before that this is your master's land and it is entirely my fault for being here. I didn't mean to intrude, I just need to stay here an hour before going back to the battle camp." Sakura answered truthfully.

"**Little Red... are you not afraid to die?**"

She shrugged.

"As a child, I've stared at death in the face far more times than you would believe. Eventually, I stopped being frightened and would find a way to evade, much to my luck. But that was a time before I had a mother and a brother."

There was silence before Sakura felt something behind her. She turned around slowly and saw an enormous silver wolf towering over her. His eyes were black and gazed down at her softly, much to her surprise.

"**Very well, Little Red. You will live for now, but I will tell my master that you have stepped foot in these woods. Be back tonight when this day becomes the next, and your fate will be decided then. Come alone. If you do not show, there will be dire consequences on behalf of my Lord, not myself.**" he said. The large wolf disappeared before her very eyes and she took a few seconds to herself. The fireflies came back into view, and the crickets and frogs restarted their soothing songs.

Sakura retreated back the path and out into the diminishing sunlight where the six of her friends gathered around her.

"Safe? Unharmed? Unafraid? HAHAHA! Teme, you lost the bet, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "Let's go, let's go, let's go! I wanna see you do it once everyone comes back!"

The others were ushered ahead, leaving Hidan with Sakura. Once he saw the frown lines in her forehead, he knew something was wrong.

"What happened in there, Sakura?" he questioned softly.

"Seiichi." she corrected, her lips tilting upward, "I'm completely fine, really. Now come on, I want to see Sasuke live up to what he owes me."

She grabbed his arm and tugged him to the camp where the soldiers had gathered around Sasuke who apparently had an announcement. Unknown to them, the Itachi and Sasori were watching from inside one of the large tents. Sasuke took a deep breath and, in a very loud voice and straight face, stated-

"Sometimes at night, I get lonely, and I pretend my weapons have feelings and I have a deep conversation with them. Also, if you tickle me, I giggle like a little girl and will dance around like a unicorn doing the chacha with really big lollipop in the shape of a dick."

It took a few moments for everyone to digest what just happened before the camp swelled with laughter at the most random thing they have ever heard. Sasori snickered quietly and Itachi watched the scene unfold with a quirk to his lips.

"Looks like he lost the bet after all." Sasori mused. The General looked over to his Lieutenant.

"This was the aftermath of a bet?" Itachi asked. The redhead nodded, his face still plastered with amusement.

"Sasuke bet that Seiichi wouldn't last half an hour in the woods just outside the camp." he explained. Itachi's ears perked up at this as his eyes narrowed, "Seiichi came out unscathed, and this is what he had to do as a result of that."

Smoldering black eyes glued themselves on the form of pink haired soldier who was laughing along with the others. From what he could see, the boy truly had no injuries. He himself had been told never to journey into that particular forest for those who went in never came out. And those who had managed to escape died within the hour due to heavily sustained wounds. Suspicion was slowly crawling through and the same question he thought a month ago had resurfaced.

Who in the world was Seiichi Haruno?

Dinner was as lively as usual, and the table at the northern corner had it's usual occupants who were sharing a hearty laugh.

"That was the best fucking thing ever!" Hidan crowed. Sasuke shot him a menacing glare then continued to sulk quietly. Naruto stretched his arms over his head with a happy sigh.

"Man, all this fun makes me want sata andagi." he pouted. Hidan and Sakura agreed with him, but the others sent them confused gazes.

"What's sata andagi?" Tobi questioned. Naruto gaped at him and stood from his seat.

"You... You've never had sata andagi?"

"No...?"

"You haven't lived, dattebayo!"

Sakura forced Naruto to sit back down.

"Sata andagi is deep fried dough, basically. There's flour, eggs, and sugar, and even though it's simple, it's one of the best desserts you could have." she explained.

"That's sold downtown, right?" Chouji asked. She nodded and they witled.

"I guess that can explain it, then." he continued, "We're nobles- we've never stepped foot downtown. When we get out of this war, you think you could take us around to see downtown? Maybe?"

Sakura smiled.

"Of course we can!"

Dinner was continued on that pleasant note. Afterwards, they were sent just outside the camp where twenty targets were lined up side by side. The soldiers were ushered into lines a hundred yards away, and the first person in each line was given a bow. Itachi stood before them, impassive as ever.

"Six arrows must be placed in the center so you may be able to take your leave." he informed curtly.

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

_Thud._

Everyone's heads swiveled to the third row from the left to see six arrows clustered in the red dot on the center of one of the targets. Quiet chuckles rippled through the men as Itachi's eye twitched with annoyance.

"I finished. I can go now, right?" Sakura questioned innocently. The General managed to push down an irritated sigh and gave the 'boy' a pointed stare.

"Tend to the horses in the field, round them up, and put them back in their stables at the camp." he ordered. With a cheeky grin and mocking eyes, Sakura saluted and walked away. Sasori smirked.

"He's getting the better of you."

"Be silent."

* * *

><p>Sakura fed Katsuyu a carrot and stroked her silky black mane. A white horse nudged her from the back. She chuckled and fed Yashiro, Itachi's horse, a carrot as well.<p>

"Seiichi. A word."

She turned around and saw Itachi walk up to her with hard eyes. She gave him a lazy salute before turning back to the horses.

"What do you need, General? I've got the horses no problem, but if you have some issue with it you can go shove it up y-"

"Were you in the forest earlier?" he asked.

"Well, you see-"

He spun her around and took a step forward. Their noses almost touched as he glared harshly her way.

"A yes or no question. Where you in the forest or not?" he hissed.

"Yes sir. I was." she answered mildly.

"Never go in there again. That is an order."

Her eyebrows furrowed.

"Wha-"

"Do not question the orders I give, _soldier_. Do not set foot in those woods or you will be punished." he growled. Sakura watched him go with confusion. Once he disappeared from the horse's grazing fields, she grinned.

"Oh but General, I have a tendency of not listening to you!" she called out. Ten minutes from midnight, Sakura's head poked out of her tent and she looked around. Nobody was around. Silently, she stepped out and adjusted her sword at her side. She looked around once more before pacing out of the camp and into the forest.

Unlike the last time she entered, the fireflies weren't buzzing about and the creatures weren't singing to their hearts content. It was deathly silent, and the phosphorescent moss gave the only light in the pitch black forest. Suddenly, the large silver wolf appeared before her.

"**My master has decided what to do with you. His orders surprise me, but I will follow without hesitation.**" he informed lightly. "**He wasn't too thrilled that you have wandered into his forest, but he thinks you could be of use to him. My Lord is not asking for much- just a small removal.**"

"Removal?" Sakura echoed. The wolf nodded.

"**Removal. Years back, humans came into this forest and slaughtered many creatures, including my kind. Then then built a tower laced with magic, put a young human and an older one inside, and sealed off the doors. Little woodland animals visit them often and bring them food, seeing as he cannot escape the tower on his own, but creatures like me cannot approach it due to it's magic repellant, which is where you come in. If you take him away from here, you may return to this forest for as long as you please.**"

Sakura considered this. This Lord, whoever he was, wasn't asking for much. And hey, you couldn't have too many allies, could you?

"What exactly is 'your kind'?" she questioned out of the blue.

"**Skin changers. My species consists of wolves and dogs who are able to turn human, though most of us prefer our normal forms. Now that you know, will you do my Lord's bidding?**"

His eyes were strangely hopeful, and she sighed.

"Why not? But if I am to do this, can I at least have your name?"

The wolf sat back on his haunches.

"**Kakashi Hatake, Little Red.**"


End file.
